Dispensing device with locking means



y 1967 R. M. Wi SEMAN 3,319,671

DISPENSING DEVICE WITH LOCKING MEANS Filed Jan. 9, 1964 28 INVENTOR.

RUSSELL M. WISEMAN A TTORNE Y United States Patent Ofi ice 3,319,671 Patented May 16, 1967 3,319,671 DISPENSING DEVICE WITH LOCKING MEANS Russell M. Wiseman, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to Diamond Alkali Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 336,763 Claims. (Cl. 141346) The invention relates to a novel device for dispensing fluent materials to containers. The apparatus of this invention is of particular value when it is desired to fill necked containers with liquids or fluent particulate solids or even gases, where spilling is especially to be avoided because of the value of the dispensed material or the danger presented by possible escape of the material.

In the apparatus of this invention, the fluent material is dispensed through a channel having a gate at its exit end, which gate is operated by rotation of a handle. In one aspect of this invention, spilling of the fluent material is prevented by providing means to prevent rotation of the handle when the container is not in operative position to receive the fluent material. This invention may also provide for support of the container to be filled by the apparatus itself.

The apparatus of this invention is often held in vertical position, and will be described subsequently in this position for gravity dispensing of the fluent materials. It will be understood, however, that positions other than vertical may be employed for dispensing fluent materials under other kinds of pressure. Although the term container is used generally throughout the present specification and claims, it is to be understood that any material receiver, such as a conduit to a remote filling point, may be included in this term. Also, the term handle is not restricted to a manually operable lever but may be actuated by other suitable machinery, including, where desirable, automatically actuated elements.

The apparatus may be used to support the container to be filled by coupling the container to the apparatus in the same manner that the container would be coupled to a cap. For this purpose, a coupling member is provided :in the apparatus having an internal configuration suitable for mating with the neck of the container. Besides supporting the container, this arrangement also will generally provide a more-or-less leak-proof filling position for the container. The means employed to prevent rotation of the handle, and thereby prevent opening of the gate, generally comprises a pin in the handle which is urged into operative locking position by resilient means and which usually is moved from its operative locking position by the container to be filled. The handle and gate usually will be provided on either end of an axle suitably contained within the same housing or core member as the dispensing channel itself. Thus the locking of the handle and gate may take place by preventing rotation of the handle relative to the core. The locking pin in its inoperative position usually is contained within the handle and in its operative locking position lies partly within the handle and partly within the core member to prevent rotation. A second pin may conveniently be provided to operate the first pin, to push the first pin into inoperative locking position within the handle when a container is in position to be filled.

Thus, in this invention, opening of the gate may be prevented when no container is present, and may be allowed by placing of the container in receiving position, which placement automatically moves the locking means to inoperative position.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which is to be considered illustrative only and not limiting, and in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom elevational view of the device showing the handle and gate in closed position in solid lines and in open position in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device, similar to FIGURE 3, but with the handle and gate in open position.

The device comprises an elongated central core 11 which is shown as an integrally formed casting, having an upper tube portion 13, a central fastening portion 15 and a lower spout portion 18. The central core need not be integral but may be made of separate tube, fastening and spout portions fastened together in a manner to provide the preferably smooth-walled, preferably circular, channel 20. The tube portion 13 preferably is cylindrical but usually does not share the same center as the also cylindrical fastening and spout portions 15 and 18. Thus the channel 20 is generally centered in the tube portion 13, but is olT-center in the lower portions. The spout portion 18 preferably has a smooth outer surface and the tube portion 13, although also shown with a smooth configuration may be adapted to be joined to a reservoir, conduit, etc., for the fluent material to be dispensed. Also, the spout portion 18 will generally be longer than the neck of the container to be filled, so that the gate may swing into an unrestricted portion of the container, see FIGURE 4.

The lower portions 15 and 18 also provide a hole for the axle 22, generally parallel to the channel 20. This axle supports, advantageously at its upper end, the handle 25 and at its lower end the base portion 28 of gate 30. Upper pin 33 and lower pin 36 may be employed to hold handle 25 and base portion 28, respectively, fixed to either end of the axle 22. Handle 25 preferably rests, in part, on the central fastening portion 15 and the gate 30 is held snugly, in the closed position, against the bottom of spout portion 18 and channel 20 to prevent escape of the material being dispensed. Also, the gate 30 may be provided with sharply tapered edges 39 to aid in cutting off the flow of liquid or semi-solid viscous materials.

The handle 25 is provided with a passage 42 generally parallel to the axle 22. This passage provides for reception of resilient biasing means, for example, the spring 44, and the locking pin 46. In order to provide room for the spring 44 and pin 46 to fit completely within the handle 25, the passage 42 may be continued into the integral or removable cap portion 48. Aligned with the passage 4-2 in the handle is the passage 50 in the fastening portion 15. This'passage extends all the way from the top to the bottom of this portion and contains the operating pin 53. This pin 53 may be provided with an enlarged head portion 55 to enable more positive engagement with the bottom of locking pin 46. The operating pin 53 is just about the same length as the passage 50.

Surrounding the central portion 15 is the coupling nut 60 which may be fastened to the central portion by any suitable means, preferably by means which allow easy dismounting, such as the threads 63 illustrated. Coupling nut 60 as shown is generally thicker than the central portion, providing, at its lower end, the annular opening 66, between its interior and the spout portion 18. The lower interior of coupling nut 69 is usually given a configuration suitablefor fastening to the neck 68 of container 70. Thus the opening 66 provides for snug mounting of the container 70 around the smooth spout portion in the same manner that a cap for the container may be secured to it. The internal configuration of coupling nut 60 can provide for the screwthread joint illustrated, or may provide a bayonet joint, etc., or even a smooth configuration for force-fitting of resilient containers.

As can be seen from FIGURE 3, the spring 44 urges locking pin 46 downwardly against the operating pin 53 when the gate 30 is in closed position. Locking pin 46 enters the passageway 50, preventing handle 25, axle 22 and gate 30 from being turned. Operating pin 53, in turn, descends part way into passageway 66, complete descent being prevented by any suitable stop means, for example by engagement of the enlarged head portion 55 with the projection 71 where channel 50 narrows. Opening of the gate'3t) as shown in FIGURE 4, requires insertion of the neck 68 of a container 70 all the way up into the opening 66 to push up the operating pin 53 sufi'lciently for the locking pin 46 to be pushed out of the passage. way 50. Coupling nut 60, which may be provided with which can be made of rugged and durable materials and which provides safeguards against dispensing when no container is present or when a container is not snugly coupled to the dispenser.

It is claimed:

1. An apparatus for dispensing fluent materials which comprises a core member, a coupling nut, a gate and a handle, said core providing a channel for fluent material having said gate at the lower end thereof, said core also providing means for attaching said coupling nut to provide an annular hole between said core and a lower portion of said coupling nut, said lower portion of said coupling nut having an internal configuration suitable for supporting a container, said handle being remote from said gate and being operable to open said gate when said gate is within said container said handle being provided with means to prevent opening of said gate, said means being movable to inoperative position by said container.

2. An apparatus for dispensing fluent material to a container which comprises a core member, said core member having a fastening portion and a lower spout portion and providing a channel for fluent material having a gate at the lower end of the spout portion thereof, said fastening portion providing means for attaching a coupling nut to provide an annular hole between said core and a lower portion of said coupling nut, said lower portion of said coupling nut having an internal configuration suitable for supporting a container, a handle being rotatable with and remote from said gate, and a passage leading from said handle, through said fastening portion to said annular hole, when the gate is in closed position against said channel, said passage being provided with an upper. pin, a spring for urging said upper pin into a first position partly within said handle and partly within said fastening portion, said'passage being provided with a'second pin for urging said first pin into a second position entirely within said handle, said first pin serving to prevent rotation of said handle when in said first position.

3. An apparatus for dispensing fluent materials to a container and adapted to prevent spilling of said material comprising a core member;

a dispensing channel Within said core member;

closure means attached in operative relationship with said dispensing channel, said closure means having open and closed positions to selectively allow fluent material to pass through said dispensing channel;

a handle operatively connected with said closure means to selectively move the closure means to open and closed positions; and

locking means associated with said handle, said locking means normally being in an operative position Whereby movement of the closure means to open position is prohibited, said locking means being moved to an inoperative position by contact of the container with the core member, said locking means being a pin, which in its omrative locking position lies partly Within said handle and partly within a non-rotatable member adjacent said handle, said pin being movable to inoperative position by a second pin held within said non-rotatable member, said second pin being movable by the container being placed in receiving position.

4. An apparatus for dispensing fluent material comprisa core member having a passage for fluent materials,

a lower spout portion, and means to support a containe-r;

connecting means in a passage within said core member having rigidly attached thereto a gate adjacent the lower extreme of said portion, and a handle rigidly attached to the other end of said connecting means adjacent said container support means;

and locking means to render said handle immovable when said container support means are vacant thus holding the gate in a closed position, said locking means positioned to be rendered ineffective by acceptance of a container in said container support means, said locking means comprising a channel in said handle and a channel in said core,

said channels being aligned to present a continuous passage when said gate prevents flow through said fluent materials passage means;

a pin;

resilient means to position said pin partially within said handle channel and partially within said core channel; and

means to urge said pin fully into said handle channel upon receipt of a container in said container support means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means employed to urge said pin into said handle comprises a second pin positioned to be actuated by receipt of a container in said container support means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,412,329 4/1922 Altenbeng l41360 2,307,597 1/1943 Malouf 222557 X 2,328,446 8/1943 Fuehrer 251-410 X 2,348,527 5/1944 Darnell 222473 2,815,046 12/1957 McBean et al 141142 X 2,987,072 .6/1961 Muller 251-1 10 X 3,028,549 4/1962 Stein 222557 X FOREIGN PATENTS 344,947 4/ 1960 Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Examiner.

E. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING FLUENT MATERIALS WHICH COMPRISES A CORE MEMBER, A COUPLING NUT, A GATE AND A HANDLE, SAID CORE PROVIDING A CHANNEL FOR FLUENT MATERIAL HAVING SAID GATE AT THE LOWER END THEREOF, SAID CORE ALSO PROVIDING MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID COUPLING NUT TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR HOLE BETWEEN SAID CORE AND A LOWER PORTION OF SAID COUPLING NUT, SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID COUPLING NUT HAVING AN INTERNAL CONFIGURATION SUITABLE FOR SUPPORTING A CONTAINER, SAID HANDLE BEING REMOTE FROM SAID GATE AND BEING OPERABLE TO OPEN SAID GATE WHEN SAID GATE IS WITHIN SAID CONTAINER SAID HANDLE BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS TO PREVENT OPENING OF SAID GATE, SAID MEANS BEING MOVABLE TO INOPERATIVE POSITION BY SAID CONTAINER. 